The Story

It's a cold, blustery evening in the Windy City, Chicago, Illinois, 1929.
In the time-weathered pressroom of the bustling Criminal Courts Building,
seven hard-boiled reporters wait for news of Earl Williams, an unstable
young anarchist who, after two reprieves, is expected to hang the following
morning for the accidental shooting of a policeman. Their vigil is frequently
interrupted by angry phone calls from Walter Burns,Managing Editor of
the Herald-Examiner, who is looking for his missing star reporter, Hildebrand
"Hildy" Johnson. Hearing that Hildy has quit the Examiner to marry the
daughter of the movie mogul and take a screen-writing job with her father's
Hollywood studio, the reporters react with typical scepticism in Hey,
Hallelujah!, during which a jubilant Hildy bursts into the pressroom,
followed by most of the building's population. Enter Hildy's beautiful
fiancee, Esther Stone who reminds her man of the romantic delights they
will soon share in their compartment on the California-bound train (Wait
Till I Get You On Your Own). Esther wants to whisk Hildy off to a farewell
party, but he tells her he has one last story to write - an interview
with Earl Williams. Reluctantly, Esther goes to William's cell.

Mollie Malloy, a prostitute, enters the pressroom, angry at the distorted
stories the reporters have been writing about Williams, inadvertently
revealing that she knows him. Sensing a story, the newsmen wheedle out
of Mollie the fact that she met the unhappy, disturbed anarchist the night
before the shooting and took him back to her room, where they talked until
morning. As soon as the reporters have their details, they revert to type
and sarcastically salute her with "Waltz for Mollie", with Mollie replying
in kind.

Later, the corrupt Major McPherson and Sheriff Hartman enter with their
singing, dancing McPhersonettes sing "Saturday" and the reporters offer
their own cynical version. Now that the hanging is definite, the people
of the building sing "Long Night Again Tonight," during which the Sheriff
propositions a secretary. Hildy tries to comfort Williams in his cell,
and cops and reporters phone their loved ones - in some cases, their wives.
Walter Burns storms into the building, singing the determined "No One
Walks Over Me," at the end of which Hildy enters. Determined to stop his
star reporter leaving town, Burns obtains some bootleg scotch, drugs Hildy's
drink and suggests a farewell toast. They sing a reprise of "Saturday,"
along with Kruger, an alcoholic reporter who gets the knockout drops by
mistake.

Later, the other six reporters discover Waiter's scotch, and, while drinking
it, dream of following Hildy's example and breaking away from the newspaper
game. They sing "Windy City", Hildy joining them midway and urging them
to stop dreaming about quitting and actually do so. But all such thoughts
are forgotten as Earl Williams suddenly shoots his way out of Police custody.
Hildy is alone in the pressroom when Williams crashes the Williams scoop
- and it's going to make him so famous, people will be naming streets
after him (I Can Just Imagine It). Mollie Malloy enters and discovers
Williams hiding in the pressroom. Mollie dissuades the frightened Williams
from giving himself up by making him understand how important their friendship
is to her (I Can Talk To You).

Later, Esther rushes in while Hildy is writing his scoop and Burns is
phoning through instructions to his city editor. They don't even hear
Esther when she sings "Perfect Casting." Exit Esther, enter Bensinger,
the owner of the desk in which Williams is hiding. To keep him away from
his desk, Burns pretends to hire Bensinger to write a poem about the manhunt.
Bensinger decides to write it in "Hiawatha" style (Bensinger's Poem).
Eventually, Williams is recaptured and Hildy is arrested and jailed for
harbouring him. Hildy turns to his drunken cellmate and addresses him
bitterly (Water Under The Bridge). Finally, all is well. Hildy is released,
he and Esther are reunited and are about to leave for Hollywood. Burns
gives Hildy his treasured pocket watch as a wedding present, after which
the whole building sings the happy couple on their way (Windy City).